Things you always wanted to know

[gaz]

If anyone can answer these then please feel free or of course, add your own.

Why is it on a phone the 1 button is at the top left and the 9 is at the bottom right but on calculators and keyboards the 1 is at the bottom left and the 9 is at the top right?

When Americans talk about two things being close together why do they say it's like "white on rice"? Is it because rice is white or is there something else that's white that you put on rice?

[1Cie GevGn]

The Power Of Christ Compells You! The Power Of Christ Compells You!

[wanderer]

Well, I will try to add my contribution to this building. There are many expressions coming from a last distance.
For example :
- at the four corners of planet.
- at the four Thursdays week.
At the four corners of planet being at the beginning with the four cardinals of planet. These expressions come from the concept ancestral in Europe which spoke about cardinals in the direction of cardinal points, but it is probable that with the catholic Church, this expression varied in four corners.

Of course, one finds at the present time many various expressions of origin; sometimes complementary, sometimes similar

[gaz]

Well, I will try to add my contribution to this building. There are many expressions coming from a last distance.
For example :
- at the four corners of planet.
- at the four Thursdays week.
At the four corners of planet being at the beginning with the four cardinals of planet. These expressions come from the concept ancestral in Europe which spoke about cardinals in the direction of cardinal points, but it is probable that with the catholic Church, this expression varied in four corners.

Of course, one finds at the present time many various expressions of origin; sometimes complementary, sometimes similar

Not surprisingly I didn't know that.

[Eat a bullet]

Of course, but doesn't it hurt when you peel?

[Eat a bullet]

Gaz just ruined life for me.

[digrar]

Why is it on a phone the 1 button is at the top left and the 9 is at the bottom right but on calculators and keyboards the 1 is at the bottom left and the 9 is at the top right?


http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mphonedial.html


So there we have it. Basically, calculator keypad design evolved from cash registers, while telephone keypad design evolved from the rotary dial. Tradition has kept them that way ever since.

[Fargin]

My phone has a calculator. How will I know if I hold it up-side-down and accidentally speak into the speaker instead of the microphone?

[Saranof]

Whu do the most bitter, pssied off and ugly people become busdrivers? (This may only apply to the ones I meet)

[Doc12]

I think it´s just as you suggested, i.e. it refers to the whiteness of rice. Strange simile if you ask me.

[Knutsen]

What was first, the hen or the egg?

[BarkingSquirrel]

The egg evolved long before the chicken did.

[Greek soldier]

Why the steering wheel on boats in on the right side??

[hell]

bahahaha, I just noticed Greek's new title.....nice.

[brad 1]

Why the steering wheel on boats in on the right side??

because the righthand side is where all steering wheels should be.LOL haha. brad

[Greek soldier]

Wrong....


Recently I heard of another reason that makes a lot of sense, early powered boats used automotive engines and often were simply the engine in the middle of a boat with an extension on the rear of the crankshaft to drive a propeller at the back of the boat. Most engines (and until recently all engines) turn in a clockwise direction when viewed from the rear. A high powered engine particularly in a small round hulled boat will succumb to the laws of physics and the boat will try to turn in the opposite direction to the propeller. This could be seen in the right side lifting slightly when under power, to overcome this early boat builders put the seat, steering gear, and anything else heavy, on the right.

http://www.amphicars.com/acleft.htm

And overall the right VS left hand drive history

http://www.i18nguy.com/driver-side.html

[Fargin]

Why the steering wheel on boats in on the right side??
starboard's right roger?

ORIGIN Old English, rudder side, because early Teutonic sailing vessels were steered with a paddle on the right side

[askDNA]

When Americans talk about two things being close together why do they say it's like "white on rice"? Is it because rice is white or is there something else that's white that you put on rice?

I've never heard that and I know everything

[gaz]

I've never heard that and I know everything
I'd heard it in movies (http://www.imdb.com/Find?select=Quotes&for=%22white%20on%20rice%22) and books. The one that really made me pay attention to it was The Wedding Crashers because I have a big crush on Rachel McAdams and she said it so it must be important.

[Ria]

When Americans talk about two things being close together why do they say it's like "white on rice"? Is it because rice is white or is there something else that's white that you put on rice?

I've heard that several times...

Well, how close is white on white rice (ok, this can't be perfectly logical, but expand your mind a little)? The rice IS white. So it's extremely "close." So when we say it's that close, we mean really close.

There are different colors of rice of course, like yellow, more brownish, etc. But the Chinese rice is white, and a lot of southerners use white rice with their black-eyed peas.

[Macs.]

I recently bought a product at McDonalds called "McSundae Icecream".
This Icream is packed in a plastic-bucket.

Then I tried to eat this product, which worked good... until I came near the bottom of the Ice Cream.

You can only eat the bottom of the ice if you are:

a) Your name is Dog or Giraffe.
b) In possession of a spoon.

Otherwise... you are done.

My Question: WHY ?

[Aerosoul]

cause Mcdonalds sucks.

[Macs.]

cause Mcdonalds sucks.

You, I got you.

Why, "fly lice" ?

[<Gypsum Fantastic>]

I recently bought a product at McDonalds called "McSundae Icecream".
This Icream is packed in a plastic-bucket.

Then I tried to eat this product, which worked good... until I came near the bottom of the Ice Cream.

You can only eat the bottom of the ice if you are:

a) Your name is Dog or Giraffe.
b) In possession of a spoon.

Otherwise... you are done.

My Question: WHY ?

http://botchthecrab.com/archive/decepticon/1984/megatron.jpg

[Macs.]

Enormous Trigger-*****.

[<Gypsum Fantastic>]

Enormous Trigger-*****.

Does this impress you?

[Macs.]

It would be a lie if I said no.

[Aerosoul]

You, I got you.
Why, "fly lice" ?
cause chinese say "fly lice" instead of "fried rice".
the previous post pertained to rice and chinese.

[ed316]

When Americans talk about two things being close together why do they say it's like "white on rice"? Is it because rice is white or is there something else that's white that you put on rice?

Oops sorry.

[Apathy]

Why do kids think Communism is cool?

[Thunder]

What happens if you say something when you're going faster than the speed of sound?

[sir-chimp]

Why do kids think Communism is cool?


the better question is why would any grown adult

[WolverineBlue]

Well, I will try to add my contribution to this building. There are many expressions coming from a last distance.
For example :
- at the four corners of planet.
- at the four Thursdays week.
At the four corners of planet being at the beginning with the four cardinals of planet. These expressions come from the concept ancestral in Europe which spoke about cardinals in the direction of cardinal points, but it is probable that with the catholic Church, this expression varied in four corners.

Of course, one finds at the present time many various expressions of origin; sometimes complementary, sometimes similar

Possibly the most confusing thing I've ever read

[Aerosoul]

personally, i tihnk they are the words of a genius.

[dave81]

Here's something I would like to know: Where did Omega7 learn English?

[Aerosoul]

he never did.

[OnTheRocks]

if you have a fast moving obeject in vacuum and it emitts light, does the light travel at the speed of light + the speed of the object?

[Gauntlet]

Where do little kids get all of their energy? They're constantly growing and don't eat very much but yet they are proven to outlast Olympic athletes.

[BarkingSquirrel]

starboard's right roger?Starboard = Right
Port = Left

Easy way to remember is by the amount of letters in all four words.

Port = 4 letters
Left = 4 letters
Port = left

So by process of elimination, Starboard = Right.

[scrybe]

Where do little kids get all of their energy? They're constantly growing and don't eat very much but yet they are proven to outlast Olympic athletes.

I think it's in the way their bodies metabolize the calories.

Oh and BarkingSquirrel, good tip man. I've never been able to remember which is which. That may help.

[Vandervahn]

Why do kids think Communism is cool?

Because, in theory and in absence of greed, it is.

[wulfstan]

If a synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?

[Freibier]

If a synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest have to drown too?
If they have any self esteem, yes!

[wulfstan]

How deep would the ocean be if sponges didn't exist?

[mudbunny]

Why do nasty, ornery bastards live longer than nicer people?

[Hawkeye]

if you have a fast moving obeject in vacuum and it emitts light, does the light travel at the speed of light + the speed of the object?
Probably not, here's my theorie:

Light needs surroundings with small massdensity (is that the correct English word?) to reproduce(at 300.000km/s). Since the package is vacuum (btw, I'm not sure it'd work with just plastic, aluminium'd do it), the light wouldn't reproduce (because of higher massdensity). That way you'd have a box of light, travelling at the speed of the "fast moving obeject".

[wulfstan]

Probably not, here's my theorie:

Light needs surroundings with small massdensity (is that the correct English word?) to reproduce(at 300.000km/s). Since the package is vacuum (btw, I'm not sure it'd work with just plastic, aluminium'd do it), the light wouldn't reproduce (because of higher massdensity). That way you'd have a box of light, travelling at the speed of the "fast moving obeject".

^ booooring.

Why do nice girls not swallow?

[toki]

^ booooring.

Why do nice girls not swallow?

you're wrong, the really nice girls swallow, while the wannabe nasty girls don't.

[wulfstan]

you're wrong, the really nice girls swallow, while the wannabe nasty girls don't.

Why must they play these games? Whhhhhyyyy? *falls to knees*

[Hellfish]

Starboard = Right
Port = Left

Easy way to remember is by the amount of letters in all four words.

Port = 4 letters
Left = 4 letters
Port = left

So by process of elimination, Starboard = Right.

I'm a visual person, so I remember it like this: If I was Columbus sailing to America, the north star would be on my right and a port in the Canary islands would be on my left.

[toki]

I'm a visual person, so I remember it like this: If I was Columbus sailing to America, the north star would be on my right and a port in the Canary islands would be on my left.

It's easier in german. It roughly translates to steering-board (Steuerbord). If i steer something i would do it with my right hand.

The problem began, when i joined a rowing club with 15. If you sit backwards the logic is gone. :lol:

[wulfstan]

Starboard is an old Norse word/saying apparently, that made it's way into the English language and Naval use etc...

Norsemen; what's the modern Norwegian word?

[Fargin]

Starboard is an old Norse word/saying apparently, that made it's way into the English language and Naval use etc...

Norsemen; what's the modern Norwegian word?
Norsemen = Norwegian Horsemen?

[wulfstan]

nice play on words...

[Hellfish]

Its a well known fact that Norweigians are frightened of horses. They rode whales into battle.

[Vandervahn]

It's easier in german. It roughly translates to steering-board (Steuerbord). If i steer something i would do it with my right hand. ...
I use an easier helping hand.

SteueRbord (starboard) is Right, Backbord (port) is left. Doesnt work in english though because both directions have an R.

[gaz]

Why do nasty, ornery bastards live longer than nicer people?

So we can piss off more nice people than would otherwise be possible.

[BarkingSquirrel]

I'm a visual person, so I remember it like this: If I was Columbus sailing to America, the north star would be on my right and a port in the Canary islands would be on my left.Whatever floats your boat. If it works, it works. Doesn't really matter why it works.


Why do nasty, ornery bastards live longer than nicer people?We live longer because we're coldblooded. Turles, Alligators, Crocodiles, etc. All coldblooded, all live a bazillion years p-)

[jokke]

there's an expression I hear from time to time in a movie ...or which I read in several books.


"How do you like them apples !!"

I know that it's used to express a surprise.. or as a show-off. But where does the saying come from?

[mudbunny]

Why guys seem to have a scar that runs from the rear of their scrotum to their a-hole. It's almost like God made two "Eve's" and then saw them both with ******s and said "No, wait, that just doesn't look right"; so he sowed up their Manginas and gave them a scrote and rod.

[brad 1]

well that ones a show stopper mate i think you have way to much time on your hands to ponder lifes little puzzles. brad

[mudbunny]

well that ones a show stopper mate i think you have way to much time on your hands to ponder lifes little puzzles. brad

No, not really, but I am double jointed.

[brad 1]

rofl rofl nice

[usa320]

bahahaha, I just noticed Greek's new title.....nice.

rofl

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